The most interesting squares in Rome: TOP-8 according to BlogoItaliano. Part II

In the first part of the article The most interesting squares of Rome: TOP-8 according to BlogoItaliano. Part I, we stopped at some of the Roman squares, which are worth paying attention to, being in the Eternal City. But, by tradition, the most interesting places BlogoItaliano saved for the second part. Today you will learn about the most beautiful squares of Rome, which are certainly worth a visit. All of them are in the BlogoItaliano mobile guide, which works even without the Internet. You can learn more about it and install it on your phone in this article.

4. People's Square (Piazza del Popolo)

Laid at the foot of the Roman hill of Pincho at the beginning of the 19th century by the architect Giuseppe Valadier and connected to the magnificent Villa Borghese by the famous Napoleonic Stairs,Piazza del popolo considered one of the most beautiful squares in Rome.

The center of People’s Square is crowned with a 36-meter Egyptian obelisk and four fountains with Neptune and newts, and the Square itself is surrounded by a balustrade, which is decorated with allegorical sculptures depicting the seasons.

People Square in Rome

Three churches are harmoniously located on People's Square, two of which, built in the 16th century - Santa Maria in Montesanto and Santa Maria dei Miracoli - are similar to each other, like twins. And about the third - the church of Santa Maria del Popolo, there is a long legend.

Once on the site of the current People’s Square was the tomb of the emperor Nero, but the restless soul of a tyrant in the form of a ghost and after death continued to terrify the locals. According to legend, in 1099, to calm the people, Pope Paschal II ordered to drown the ashes of Nero in the river, and to build a church, Santa Maria del Popolo, in place of the tomb in honor of the Virgin Mary.

3. St. Peter's Square (Piazza San Pietro)

The greatest architectural masterpiece, designed by Lorenzo Bernini in the middle of the XVII century, - St. Peter's Square is located in front of the Basilica of St. Petra in the very center of the Italian capital in the Vatican City.

St. Peter's Square has the shape of an ellipse, and the monumental side colonnades, going in a semicircle along the sides of the square, are decorated with 96 statues of martyrs and saints. The square of St. Peter is crowned by a 35-meter Egyptian obelisk, delivered from Heliopolis at the beginning of the 1st century BC. by order of the Roman emperor Caligula.

St. Peter's Square - the architectural masterpiece of Lorenzo Bernini

There is a legend that in the metal ball located on the top of the obelisk, for a long time there were the remains of Julius Caesar, and now there is supposedly a urn with fragments of the cross on which Jesus was crucified. At an equal distance from the obelisk are two fountains by Italian masters of the 17th century - Maderno and Bernini.

Today St. Peter's Square is a place of pilgrimage for thousands of believers who come here from all over the world to listen to the pontiff. And on Christmas and Easter holidays the number of parishioners is hundreds of thousands.

The best view of the Square opens from the dome of St. Peter's Basilica

This, in addition, is one of those places in Rome where you should definitely go with a guide, because even a mega-detailed guide will not replace a lively story about the amazing history of this place and unusual symbols that are found all the time. If you want a guide, you can try to find it yourself or use the contact of Lela, about whom BlogoItaliano wrote in detail here.

2. Capitol Square (Piazzadel Campidoglio)

On the top of Capitol Hill, to which the unusual, in the form of a gentle ramp, cordonata staircase is located Capitol Square - The most ambitious project of Michelangelo, commissioned by Pope Paul III in the middle of the XVI century.

The base of the Cordonate Staircase is guarded by two marble lions, and at the top, on either side of the Staircase, huge statues of Dioscuros - mythological heroes, brothers Castor and Poluks - found during excavations of the Pompey Theater in 1583.

In the center of the Capitol Square, Michelangelo placed made in the II century BC. and before standing at the Roman Forum a bronze statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius riding a horse. At the moment, the sculpture of the emperor is replaced by a copy, while the original is nearby - in the Capitol Museum.

Capitol Square is decorated with a statue of Marcus Aurelius

In addition, the Capitol Square is decorated with two fountains with basalt figures of lions and stone bowls, an ancient statue of Morphorius, ancient Roman sculptures representing the rivers - the Nile and the Tiber, etc.

On both sides Capitol Square framed by the facades of the three Palaces, the main of which, located in the center, is the Medieval Palace of Senators. Today, the Roman municipality is located here. On the left and right the Piazzas are the same as the twins, the Palazzo dei Conservatory (Archive) and the Palazzo Nuovo (Capitoline Museum) - the first Roman museum open to the public.

1.Piazza Navona

The most famous Roman square in the Baroque style is Piazza Navona. In ancient times, this place was an ancient Roman stadium, the ruins of which are partially preserved under the church of Sant Agnese in Agone. In the Middle Ages until 1869, there was a city market on Navona Square.

The main attraction of Piazza Navona is the Fountain of the Four Rivers, the work of Lorenzo Bernini. In the center of the sculptural composition symbolizing the four great rivers (Ganges, Danube, Rio della Plata and the Nile), there is a rocky reef from which the Egyptian obelisk tends to rise.

Navona Square is elliptical

Behind the fountain is a church built in honor of the martyr of Agnes - Sant Agnese in Agone. According to legend, a miracle happened in front of everyone at Agnes, who was exposed naked to ridicule the Gentiles - long hair grew instantly and hid her nakedness from scoffers. The girl was stabbed with a dagger, and her head is now kept in the crypt of the church of Sant Agnese in Agone.

Also in the south and north side Navona Square There are two more wonderful fountains: the Fountain of the Moor and the Fountain of Neptune.

For many years, Piazza Navona has been the center of the Befana holiday (the Italian version of Santa Claus), which traditionally takes place on January 6 and is accompanied by a lively fair.